Clockwork Spectrum
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: Oscar's life used to be so simple. Then it got weird when he had someone inside his head. It got even weirder when he wakes up back in his old room in Mistral...two months before Ruby Rose attends Beacon Academy. With Oz's "semblance" and his newfound combat abilities, Oscar Pine is going to change the course of the future. Whether he likes it or not. [Also on AO3!]
1. Chapter 1

**Clockwork Spectrum**

 **Volume I**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1: Spinning Cogs**_

The _bar was practically empty, save for the single individual sitting at the counter by himself. Oscar shifted uncomfortably as he entered, unsure of what he was doing. Part of him wondered why he was even doing this. Here at Haven when he could be back at the farm, helping his aunt. Why did he bother listening to the voice in his head?_

 _'Is…that him?' Oscar asked the voice – Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Ozpin – timidly. He was not about to walk up to a complete stranger, especially in a bar. He already saw the flask in the guy's hand, and wasn't about to risk being caught in a one-on-one bar fight. 'The Qrow person you mentioned?'_

 _'Yes, that is him.' Ozpin confirmed for him. 'You'll almost always find him inside a bar.'_

 _'A-and what am I supposed to tell him? Am I just supposed to tell him you're apparently inside my head and I have your memories or something?'_

 _Ozpin chuckled softly. 'Not quite. Tell him I want my cane back.' Oscar blinked. His…cane? 'Trust me. It will work out.'_

 _Sighing, the farm boy dragged his feet forward. His footsteps caused the floorboards underneath him to creak softly. It was loud enough, however, for the man at the counter to notice as he shifted slightly. He made no move to turn around, however._

 _"Um…" Oscar sucked in a breath nervously. Here it was. The moment of truth. "E-excuse me?"_

 _The man turned. Peach fuzz was found across the bottom of his face, red eyes tired and weary from a long journey. His messy black hair was unruly like a ruffled bird's feathers, the bangs coming down over his forehead with the fringe slightly over his eyes. In hand was a glass._

 _And he reeked of alcohol. Oscar's nose twitched, repulsed by the smell. It was his first time smelling the stuff._

 _"…I don't think they allow kids in here." Qrow Branwen said. Thankfully for Oscar, his voice didn't have a slight slur, meaning he wasn't fully drunk._

 _'Well, go on.' Ozpin encouraged him. 'Ask.'_

 _Oscar frowned. "I'm getting there." He snapped, only to realize he said it out loud. Qrow's eyebrow rose to his hairline, setting his drink down. His hands gripped the fabric of his pants, sighing. "I'm…supposed to tell you…" he began, looking at the man in the eye, all the while trying to maintain his composure. There's no way this would work. "…I'd like my can back."_

 _Qrow blinked. Once. Twice. Then his eyes settled on the silver hilt that sat on his hip. He stared back at Oscar before he chuckled, standing up from his stool, gently shoving it back before taking the hilt from his side. Tossing it around in his hand, he looked back at Oscar. For a moment, the farm boy was worried he would do something to him._

 _His fears were unfounded._

 _Qrow tossed the hilt to Oscar, who caught it. He gasped when a sleek, black shaft suddenly extended, forming into what seemed like a cane. Fascinated and awed, his gloved hands held the cane. It felt smooth, yet it felt strangely nostalgic to hold it in his hands. It was perhaps because of Ozpin taking up residence inside of him – merging with him._

 _His eyes trained on the clockwork-like design at the handle before his attention turned to the drunkard._

 _Qrow grinned. "It's good to see you again, Oz."_

* * *

A slight jostle from the Bulkhead caused Oscar Pine, age 15, to stir awake. Startled, he looked around. Steel was everywhere he looked, along with soft comfy seats while the passengers around him looked out the windows. Outside, a stunning view danced before them – a castle-like structure standing proudly atop a cliff with spires on either side.  
Oscar calmed his dancing heart and sighed, reclining in his seat. "I'm starting to hate those dreams."

It had been two months since he left the small farm in Anima. His aunt was surprised by his decision, especially when he had previously showed no desires of going to Beacon

Academy. She was also maybe a bit disapproving of his actions, too. Beacon Academy was one of the best Huntsman Academies in Remnant, and he had no training whatsoever. Trying to attend was practically suicide.

If he didn't know what he did now, he'd agree with her and would have never even mentioned it to her.

The Bulkhead lurched forward a bit, descending down to the landing pad. The passengers began to gather near the entrance, eager to see Beacon Academy firsthand. Meanwhile, a familiar blonde was panicking, trying to reach the bathroom before he ended up dumping the contents of his stomach again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another familiar blonde, this one with much longer hair, panicking as she tried to grab a red cloak to wipe off the vomit on her shoes.

 _Red cloak?_

Oscar's breath hitched when he saw her. She looked nothing like she did when they met. Silver, steely eyes that were proud and sharp like a warrior while holding a look of innocence to her. Her body language was always tense, as if prepared for a coming battle. However, there was none of her there now. Instead, he saw a childish girl with pure innocence. Yes, there were signs of the warrior within, but none were prominent.

"Ruby…" he whispered while holding a hand to his chest. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "No. Don't think about it."

He didn't want to relive that moment again. He's seen it enough to already have it burned into his memory. There was no more need to make him relive it further.

After a few minutes, the Bulkhead landed. Moments later, the doors hissed open, descending to make a ramp. The passengers then spilled out, moving towards the vast open courtyard. The closest Oscar had seen it was in pamphlets and Ozpin's memories; however it all paled in comparison to seeing it for himself.

The walkway was practically a statement unto itself: "Welcome, future warriors, to your new school. Hone your abilities and talents, so that you may safeguard this world or die trying!"

…okay, maybe not that last part, but still.

Trees lined the walkway while a single statue, showcasing a Huntsman and Huntress standing over a cowering Beowolf, hiding underneath a rock. A testament and a boost, meant to help encourage those who were not as courageous as others to take the step forward. The future students of Beacon Academy walked through with pride and awe, already looking forward to their year here at this prestigious academy.

Of course, Oscar had no attention of becoming a student here. He wasn't even an applicant, nor did he have any transcripts. He was more or less a stowaway – sneaking aboard the Bulkhead without anyone noticing. As far as he was concerned, he was just a guest.

That being said, he was nervous. What if this plan wouldn't work? What if Ozpin didn't believe him? Maybe this was a stupid idea after all…but there was no sense trying. Best case if Ozpin didn't believe him, he'd just ship him back to Anima. Worst case, he'd let James Ironwood get a hold of him.

He shuddered at the thought. _'Remind me again, why am I doing this?'_ Part of him expected an answer from his other occupant, but then remembered that he wasn't there. He was inside that school, waiting to begin the opening ceremony and deliver a speech to his students.

Oscar sighed, running a hand through his hair before he willed himself to walk away.

"Ooh! Ooh! Sis, look! That kid has a collapsible staff!"

And try and not run up to Ruby Rose and hug her while sobbing. That would be rather embarrassing.

* * *

It hadn't taken Oscar to find Glynda Goodwitch. She was found not far from the halls, overlooking the newcomers. It would be at least a good ten or twelve minutes before the opening ceremony began, so he was thankful he found her when he did. If he remembered Ozpin's memories correctly, the woman was as strict as she was devoted. Yes, she often disagreed with his judgement calls, but she ultimately followed his word. She also heavily disagreed with Ironwood, due to his tendencies to be overcautious and whatnot.

Sucking in a breath, and bracing himself, he approached. "Pardon me. Are you Professor Goodwitch?"

The woman turned. She seemed a bit surprise to see someone as young as Ruby here. He didn't blame her, though he wasn't technically invited here. "You're…a bit young to be here." She said slowly as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you have business here at Beacon? Or did you get on the wrong ship?"

"Not quite." Oscar said curtly, keeping his tone respectful. He knew better than to anger a woman. Especially one as high-strung as Glynda. "I'm here to talk to Professor Ozpin."

"I'm sorry, but the Headmaster-"

"It's about the Fall Maiden he has underneath Beacon Academy and Salem's lap dog."

His answer, which cut into hers mid-sentence, was so abrupt that he only now realized how rude it sounded. He momentarily cursed inside his head. Dammit, he must have been hanging around Qrow for too long. Regardless, his answer had stunned her to silence. For a moment, a look of panic had even formed over her features before she calmed down.

Hoooly crap that glare was the stuff of nightmares. For a moment, he wondered if he was better off facing one of Salem's Wyverns over being on the receiving end of Glynda Goodwitch's death stare.

There was only silence between the two of them. Wordlessly, Glynda produced her Scroll from her person. A few inputs, and soon a familiar voice – as somber and smooth as he always had been – spoke from the other line.

"Is something the matter, Glynda?"

"Sir." Glynda spoke tensely. "There's a young man here to see you."

"Oh?"

"…he mentioned _**her**_."

Another bout of silence.

"…well then, send him in. It seems we have a lot to talk about, then."

* * *

For what seemed like the umpteenth time today, Oscar wondered if he was better off staying home than coming to Beacon. The entire trip with Glynda had been nothing but a chilling silence that would put even the Winter Maiden to shame. He didn't dare say anything, choosing to instead grasp the object hidden in the pouch on his waist.

 _'I hope everything goes well…'_

It was wishful thinking at best. Especially when there was the possibility that Ozpin would dismiss him. However, Oscar soon remembered that he had one way of making the man believe his seemingly impossible tales.

The elevator stuttered once it reached the height of its ascent. The doors slid open, presenting Oscar a view of the office. _'Just like how I remember it.'_ Oscar thought wryly. _'Oh, wait, how Ozpin remembers it. At this rate, I won't be able to tell apart my memories from his.'_

The room was circular, with cogs spinning and whirring and clicking together in a beautiful sequence of rhythms above them. Behind the mahogany desk was a pane-glass window with a beautiful view of the entire academy, as well as Vale, which could be seen from afar.

And behind that desk was an unfamiliar man, yet at the same time, familiar.

 _'So this is what you look like, Ozpin.'_

Ozpin looked well into his thirties, but his hair was gray. He was dressed professionally, as one might expect from a Headmaster of the most prestigious academy in Vale. A black jacket over a dark green shirt, a black tie, and formal pants. Atop the bridge of his nose were small, round black glasses. In hand was his cane, while in the other was a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

Even now, Oscar didn't understand why he drank the stuff instead of coffee. Would have been a lot more effective in keeping him awake.

Oscar and Glynda stepped out of the elevator. Behind them, twin metal doors slid shut, locking it down until it was needed again. Ozpin had finished taking a sip of his favorite drink before setting it down on his desk. "…when Glynda said a young man had come, I wasn't expecting one around Ms. Rose's age." Ozpin said, his voice calm and collected as it usually had been. He set his cane down afterwards and folded his hands, leaning forward with a curious intrigue in his eyes. "Nor was I expecting someone who knew about the Fall Maiden, much less Salem herself."

Oscar sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "To be honest, I wish I didn't." he said. "If it's okay…can I take a seat? I'm still dealing with jet lag."

"Of course." Ozpin gestured to the opposing chair. Oscar bowed his head gratefully, pulling it back and sitting down. From behind, Glynda remained where she was at the far end of the room. "So then…may I ask who you are?"

"My name is Oscar Pine. 15-years-old, and until recently, I was a farm hand at my aunt's place in Anima." He answered. "And you're Professor Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy, and one of the guardians of the relics."

From behind, he heard Glynda shift in her spot. Once more, he felt a dangerous feeling emanating from her. Ozpin seemed to tense at this as well, evident by how his shoulders seemed to lock in place. "Interesting…" he hummed, drumming his fingers against his folded hands. "And, if you don't mind me asking…how exactly do you know about that?"

"Because you and Qrow Branwen told me." Were the situation weren't so tense, he would have chuckled at the stupefied expression the man gave him. "I know about the silver-eyed warriors. I know about the four maidens. I know about the relics, and that only the maidens can reach them. And Salem wants them. She already has half of the Fall Maiden's powers because of Cinder Fall."

"Cinder?"

"Her lap dog, along with Arthur Watts and Hazel Rainart."

Two individuals, and arguably among the most dangerous of her group. One of them Ozpin knew well enough.

"…I find it odd that I told all of this to someone I never met."

"You didn't." Oscar answered. "At least, not for nearly a year." Ozpin quirked an eyebrow. The farm hand scratched his head. "And what I'm about to tell you is pretty much going to sound like I'm crazy, and I see one of two things happening here. Either one, you let Ironwood have at me in an attempt to interrogate me, or at the very least bring in Qrow. Or two, you just wave me off and send me back to my aunt while keeping me under watch."

The gray-haired headmaster tilted his head, waving a hand. "Well then, young man, enough with the suspense." In spite of his formal and even tone, there was obviously a hint of suspicion. "Tell me your story."

"…eleven months from now – eight months after the Fall of Beacon Academy, I wake up with a voice in my head calling itself Ozpin. I try to ignore it, yet for some reason I remember things that I know for a fact didn't happen. And I can't even begin to tell you the crazy stuff that happens next in my life."

So he told Ozpin everything. From Ozpin's own memories from after Ruby Rose underwent Initiation-

"-Ruby and Weiss ride on the back of an Elder Nevermore in order to get to the temple faster-"

-to the soon-to-be formed Teams RWBY and JNPR fighting back to back against the avian Grimm and a Deathstalker-

"-Blake and Yang make a slingshot with Blake's weapon and Weiss shoots Ruby at the Nevermore, which she drags up the cliff and cuts off its head. Jaune and the rest of Team JNPR send the Deathstalker down the bridge-"

-to Initiation's conclusion. He also told of the minor incident regarding Jaune's transcripts coming into question with the whole Cardin Winchester incident, but even then Ozpin never really interfered. He spoke about the events that occurred in the following semester, where Ruby had caused a food fight with Team JNPR in the cafeteria-

"-she practically glued them to the wall after returning Pyrrha's own attack against her. Professor Goodwitch wasn't exactly happy about the mess, either."

-and then their involvement with reports of four teenagers battling a hijacked Altesian Paladin, supposedly controlled by Roman Torchwick. Oscar continued on by speaking about the breach, where Roman and the White Fang collaborated by blowing a hole in their defenses and letting the Grimm inside the city. Then came the Vytal Festival.

"-because of the Breach, the Council decided that Ironwood and the Altesian Military were a better choice to guard the festival. You weren't exactly happy with the decision, especially since it was an unnecessary show of force that only raised concerns."

Oscar spoke of the fateful match between Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black, which became the powder keg that would seal Vale's fate-

"-one of Cinder's allies: Emerald, used her Semblance to make Yang think Mercury was attacking him. The result was obvious: everyone thought that she attacked him unprovoked. The negativity in the crowd spiked-"

-and that the fight between Pyrrha Nikos and Penny Polendina – an android designed to look like a human, harboring an artificial soul, had lit the spark.

"-Pyrrha's Semblance pulled her blades back. In the next second, Miss Polendina's body was ripped apart until it was scraps and shreds. Cinder took advantage of the negativity and made the situation worse. And then came the Grimm…and the Wyvern."

Oscar told him about the Fall of Beacon. How the White Fang, in the midst of the chaos, took to the streets and began raising hell. Worse, Cinder Fall had left behind a virus that allowed her to hijack every Knight and Paladin in the city. It was chaotic. The continuous rise of negative emotions brought hordes of Grimm into the city. If that wasn't bad enough, Cinder Fall had robbed Amber, the Fall Maiden, of the rest of her powers while they were in the middle of transferring hers to Pyrrha Nikos.

Then he spoke of the battle between the two of them. Cinder Fall had emerged victorious, but she would later be defeated by Ruby…at the cost of Pyrrha Nikos' life. Then, months later, Oscar would find him talking to him inside of his own head. With a bit of embarrassment showing, he told of his initial reactions to having someone calling themselves the Headmaster of Beacon talking inside of his head and urging him to follow on his ideals of excitement and adventure – the desire to be something more.  
That, of course, led to him going to Haven, where he found Qrow and met Ruby Rose for the first time.

By the time Oscar finished recounting the events that had transpired in his time – the time he was desperately trying to change, he found his throat a bit dry. Throughout the whole thing, Glynda remained where she was, but she clearly looked at him as if he were a madman. Ozpin, on the other hand, looked perhaps a bit ready to accept his answer, yet remained apprehensive.

"An interesting story." He said after a moment. "So…you were killed by Salem after Ruby had dealt her a fatal blow, which came at the expense of her own life, and then you somehow woke up in your bedroom at your aunt's farm two months ago."

"Like I said." Oscar deadpanned. "You'll either think I'm crazy or…well, crazy."

Finally, the blonde head-mistress spoke. "I, for one, would like to think so." She said, taking a few steps forward and shooting a warning glare at Oscar before turning to Ozpin. "Sir, you can't honestly believe what this boy says. Time travel? Preposterous."

"Now now, Glynda." Ozpin dismissed. "Even if what Mr. Pine says is rather outlandish, he is aware of who we are, and what we're trying to prevent." He then turned his attention back to his future successor, taking the moment to drink from his mug again. "Still, I'm rather curious. Provided what you say is true…why come to Beacon? Why speak with us about this?"

"Because if I told Ironwood, he'd lock me up under the idea I'm working for Salem." Oscar stated, leaning forward. "And then he'd interrogate me. If I told Leo, he would report back to you while keeping an eye on me. And I wouldn't even know where to look for Qrow, since he keeps moving around."

He took another deep breath, calming himself down. Ozpin wasn't fully dismissing him yet. Part of him was willing to believe him. He just needed to push a bit further now.

"The reason why I came to you is because…I know I can convince you."

"How, exactly?"

"A name."

"And that name would be…?"

Oscar closed his eyes. Wordlessly, he removed the item from his holster, holding it out. He heard Glynda gasp as he felt Oz-his cane extend, revealing its battered and cracked form. The handle's cogs were stained with mud and dirt while the grip was covered in scratches.

Then he hammered the final nail in the coffin.

" _Oum_. Monty…Oum."

Opening his eyes, he found a visibly shaken Ozpin staring at him, wide-eyed and mouth agape. If he were holding his mug at this moment, he would have dropped it. Glynda looked at the two of them, confused while also shocked to find a replica of the Headmaster's own cane in his possession, albeit battered and worn out from countless battles.

After a long period of silence, the Professor turned to the deputy head-mistress. "Glynda…" Ozpin spoke, voice solemn. "Would you be kind enough to give myself and Mr. Pine a moment?"

"Wh-what?" Glynda stuttered. "Sir, you can't possibly-"

 _"Please."_

There were only a handful of moments in which the man had EVER said "please."

Stunned, Glynda only nodded dumbly, and turned on her heel. Her shoes clacked against the floor as she left the room, closing the door behind her. Once it shut, Ozpin closed his eyes and took yet another drink from his mug…only it wasn't a sip. It seemed as if he were gulping down the contents as if he were Qrow Branwen drinking from his flask after a particularly long day. Once he lowered it, setting it down on his desk, he gave a long, tired and worn-out sigh.

"…I have always believed that, no matter what age or era I was in, I had done more wrong than any man, woman or child on this earth." Ozpin said as he looked at Oscar, eyes showing nothing but sadness while a somber, poor smile touched his face. "You…are far too young to be carrying this burden."

The same smile fell upon his face too. "We didn't really have much choice, Oz."

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Clockwork Spectrum**

 **Volume I**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2: Whirring Conclusions  
**_

 _If meeting Qrow Branwen seemed like a bad idea at first, then meeting Ruby Rose and the remains of Team JNPR was a death sentence to Oscar Pine._

 _'I'm going to die.' He swore solemnly in his mind, standing outside the door where there room was. Leaning against the wall, laughing and chuckling and giggling like a demented fool was Qrow, utterly tanked to the high heavens. 'I am going to die a horrible, painful death. I mean, tell them I'm you?! Are you trying to kill me here, Ozpin?!'_

 _'Oh, come now.' The way he said that made Oscar think of the occupant in his head waving a hand in dismissal. 'You've come this far trusting me. I'm sure you can continue on. Also, you don't have anything to fear. All you have to do is help explain the situation. Qrow is here to collaborate, provided he's told them about the Maidens and the Relics.'_

 _That didn't ease his worries at all whatsoever. 'He's drunk! How's he supposed to help?!'_

 _'Technically, Qrow is_ always _drunk.'_

 _'Not. Helping.'_

 _Groaning, Oscar ran a hand down his face. His face felt irritated from his skin being touched by his worn-out farm gloves. Staring at the door, he looked back at Qrow, who was still giggling. Shakng his head, swearing again for the umpteenth time that he was going to die, he rapped his knuckles against the door. Stepping back, he waited for the door to open._

 _There was a tense silence, waiting for those inside to answer him. He heard footsteps clacking against the floor inside before the knob turned. The door pulled inside the room, revealing three occupants. At the door was a teen, a year or so older than him, with a messy mop of blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a black hoodie and jeans under beautiful white and gold armor. In the far back were two others: a girl with vibrant orange hair wearing a black short-sleeved jacket, sitting next to a boy with long black hair._

 _They were obviously surprised to see someone so young in front of them. They looked at one another, uncertain, before they looked back at Oscar, the blonde speaking up. "Can we…help you?"_

 _'The young man in front of you is Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR.' Ozpin told him. 'In the back are Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, his teammates.'_

 _Oscar felt only worse. A nervous pit was in his stomach, unsure of how to talk to them. His feet kicked at the earth underneath him nervously, gripping the hem of his shirt out of habit. Slowly, he spoke up. "I-is there a…Ruby Rose here?"_

 _When he saw the dangerous, intense looks come across their faces, he knew he was in trouble. Ren and Nora stood up from the couch, both glaring daggers at him. "Why?"_

 _Oscar gulped. Yep, this was where he was going to die._

 _"I FOUND HIM~!"_

 _Suddenly, Qrow leaned in, falling on Oscar with a goofy smile on his cherry-red face as he clasped his hands over his shoulders. He lurched forward, stumbling into the room before he fell on the couch. Oscar crunched his face in disgust, plugging his nose from the putrid smell of alcohol._

 _"I think…her Uncle could use some help."_

 _"I-I did it~!" Qrow slurred. "I found him~!"_

 _The members of Team JNPR looked at each other, clearly confused by what just happened. Then, a female voice shouted in dismay. "What is going on out here?!"_

 _Oscar's breath hitched. His cheeks burned, and his heart skipped a beat._

 _Entering the room with an irritated look was a girl, maybe a little bit older than him, wearing a red cloak with a hood over a white high-neck décolletage blouse. Together with it, she wore a black-and-red skirt with an overbust corset and a red-bordered belt carrying what he assumed was an ammo pack. She also wore thigh-high stockings, decorated by a picture of a rose with a long stem. At her feet were black boots, highlighted in red with four straps and a buckle apiece. Her hair was black with a tinge of red, her skin pale, and her face round with certain sharpness to it. Oscar compared it to the description of the warriors, soldiers and heroes he sometimes read about in the books he was allowed to keep._

 _The most noticeable thing about her was her eyes: beautiful, silver pools that glimmered and shined like wonderful diamonds._

 _'…whoa.' Was all he could think about, much to the amusement of a certain Headmaster._

 _"Can't a girl read her comics in peace?!" the girl, no doubt Ruby Rose herself, scowled before she saw Qrow on the couch in a drunken mess. She must have regularly seen it, as she soon facepalmed and sighed. "Qrow…did you get drunk?"_

 _The man grinned, waving a hand. "Maaaybe~"_

 _"Whoa…" Oscar finally found himself breathing again. Without thinking, he stepped inside the room and stared in wonder. "You…have silver eyes."_

 _Ruby blinked, taken aback by his words while the others stared in confusion. Strangely, Oscar felt a sense of déjà vu here. 'I said the same thing in our first meeting.' Ozpin told him. 'She's certainly grown.' Suddenly, his voice became saddened and somber. 'Yet I wonder what came at the cost.'_

 _Oscar didn't ask what he meant. If the way he spoke was anything, it meant that it was a heavy subject…that, and he felt as if he already understood what he meant. Turning his attention back to Ruby, she noticed he had the handle of Ozpin's cane. Her eyes frowned, uncertain of who she was looking at._

 _"Who…are you?"_

 _Qrow snickered on the couch. The farm boy sighed. "Well…my name is Oscar Pine-"_

 _"Waaait for iiit~"_

 _"-but, you would know me better as…Professor Ozpin?"_

 _The startled, almost shocked looks on their faces was enough for Oscar to know that he might have sealed his fate. Comically, though, Qrow shot up from his spot on the couch, hoisting his arms in the air. "I DID IT!" he roared victoriously…before falling to the floor._

 _He…didn't get back up._

 _'I…am so dead.'_

* * *

It had taken a bit of time before Oscar had filled in the gaps, and with each passing moment, Ozpin turned more and more somber. Ever since he had convinced the man that he was, without question, his successor and future host, the two had discussed the events of what would come to pass.

"James had always had trouble understanding the meaning of caution…" the Headmaster groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "…but to enact a Dust embargo, on top of closing off Atlas borders?" He then shook his head. "And to top it off, Leo worked with Salem?"

"You thought it was because you were killed by Cinder." Oscar stated. "That, and Leo cared about Mistral more than anyone else in the Council. After the Fall of Beacon, and losing so many Huntsmen, well…I think he realized just how powerful Salem really was."

Ozpin nodded. "So it would seem." He said. He paused, taking the moment to finish off the remnants of his hot chocolate before speaking again. "Still, the fact that this Cinder managed to implant a virus that allowed her to take control of the entire Altesian Network means that Watts has had quite a bit of time on his hands."

"So, what do we do?" the farm hand asked, frowning. "I mean, now that we know what Salem has in mind, we could-"

Ozpin held up a hand. "Calm yourself, Oscar. Simply because we are now forewarned does not mean we're completely forearmed." He said. "We have to move. _Carefully_. If we act too quickly, Cinder is likely to notice something."

Oscar wanted to argue, but he knew it was a useless endeavor. They both knew the man was right. If they acted too quickly, the witch would notice something and adjust her plans. Even though they had knowledge of what came next did not mean they had power. It was simply caution, if anything.

Ozpin looked at his Scroll, sighing. "As much as I would like to continue this conversation, there is still the matter of the opening ceremony." He said, standing up and grabbing his cane. As he maneuvered around his desk, he looked at his successor. "And what will you do now, Oscar?"

That seemed to take him off guard. "E-excuse me?"

"You said you came to warn us of the dangers to come, but what comes after?" Ozpin asked him curiously. "You've succeeded in doing so, in spite of the risks it carried. However, did you not think of what you would do after?"

Oscar couldn't answer. Silently in his seat, he cursed himself inside his own mind.

He _didn't_ think this out. The only thing he came up with was warn Ozpin about what was to come, but he never stopped to think about what came next. Yes, he thought of the consequences and what could happen if he didn't successfully convince Ozpin, but he never thought about what would happen if he did manage. They couldn't do anything right now, not without risking Cinder noticing their newfound movements. So, what was he supposed to do?

"Oscar," Ozpin called, bringing him out of his thoughts. "How old did you say you were?"

The farm hand frowned. "I turn 14 in nine months, so…13. Why?"

"Hm…" the Headmaster tapped his finger against his chin, dipping his head in thought. "Well, this could be a problem. I was able to make an exception for Ms. Rose, and her team would be able to help her out in her academic studies, especially if she does partner with Ms. Schnee…" After a moment of debate, some of which he didn't really understand, Ozpin sighed. "Well, I suppose I can figure it out after the opening ceremony." Shaking his head, he turned back to Oscar. "Come along now."

"E-eh? Wait, where are we going?"

"Where else?" Ozpin smirked, pushing up his glasses. "The auditorium."

"…what?"

* * *

Dammit all. He swore, Ozpin was doing this on purpose. No sooner had he stepped unto the stage did he feel a number of stares from the initiates – among of which were Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose, the former of which he still felt intimidated by – set directly upon him. There was additionally the odd stares he received from the faculty as well.

 _'Dammit, Ozpin.'_ Oscar scowled, shifting uncomfortably as he stood next to him, gripping the hem of his shirt. _'What are you doing?'_

If the Headmaster could see his situation, he didn't show it. Instead, he tapped the microphone to see if it was working before clearing his throat.

Then, he delivered the speech.

"I'll... keep this brief." Ozpin began. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

Oscar scoffed a bit, noticing the excited looks among the new batch of students. They didn't understand. If they had seen what he had seen-no, what _Ozpin_ had seen, they wouldn't look so excited. But they would, he knew. If things did not change, then they would understand just how serious things were.

"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction."

That jostled them from their daydreams. Everyone looked at one another, confused and unsure what the man meant. Again, Oscar knew that they would should the Fall of Beacon Academy come to pass in this timeline. That said, he felt as if there was another meaning hidden in his speech. Something the other teachers seemed curious to note as well as they looked at the man curiously.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

With those words said, Ozpin stepped away, turning from the microphone and walking to the back of the auditorium. A gesture of the hand beckoned Oscar to follow. Behind them, Glynda gave a short, yet curt set of instructions for them to ready themselves for tomorrow. It had taken less than ten seconds before she finished and walked away, soon joining the two.

…aaand the glare was back.

"Sir, if I may ask…why did you bring the boy with you on stage?" the Deputy Head Mistress questioned with a sharp look in her eyes. "I sincerely hope you don't honestly believe in what this boy has told you."

"Actually, I do." Ozpin told her. A small part of Oscar absolutely _relished_ the look of disbelief and shock that crossed her face. "Glynda, this boy knows one of the few things that I have told only a handful of individuals – Qrow included. I am certain we can trust him. Besides, even if I didn't, I believe it would be more prudent to keep an eye on him, don't you think?" A small smile touched his lips before he-

 _'Wait, since when did he have his mug on him?!'_ Oscar gawked. _'More importantly, when did he refill it?!'_

-took out his mug and took a sip. After relishing the wonderful taste, he continued on. "After all, he has knowledge of Amber, who rests beneath Beacon, as well as the Relic we are safeguarding. Not to mention he knows about Salem's existence."

"But, sir…"

"Think about it this way, Glynda. Either it's us keeping an eye on young Oscar…or we hand him over to James, who will no doubt want to interrogate the boy."

Oscar shivered, the darkest parts of his mind already imagining the horrible scenario playing out in his head. He was _very_ much trying to ignore it. Glynda seemed to understand this as well, though she looked to have trouble accepting it, given her sigh. "Very well…but I don't like this."

"You didn't approve of my decision to allow Ms. Rose attend Beacon, either." Ozpin pointed out.

"Because she's too young!"

"Who's a Silver-Eyed warrior." Oscar put in his two cents, only to recoil when Glynda leveled her glare at him, shrinking where he stood. "Okay, shutting up now."

Ozpin remained confident of his decision, however. A thin smile touched his face, taking another sip of his mug. "Regardless of Ms. Rose's age, or Oscar himself, we need all the allies we can muster, Glynda. Especially for the days to come. In the meantime, though…let's enjoy what little peace we have. After all…" The man chuckled wryly. "School is once again in session."

"…very well." Glynda said once again, sighing as she palmed her face. "I'll follow your lead…as usual. However, there is one thing I wish to ask. Why did you bring Mr. Pines with you on stage?"

"We're curious about that as well, Oz!"

Oscar jumped when two men appeared. He recognized them from Ozpin's memories – the one with the messy green hair with the thermos was Bartholomew Oobleck, and the pudgy man with the fabulous mustache was Peter Port.

"It's rather unusual for you to have someone else on stage." Oobleck said as he pushed up his spectacles. "Even more so when he's younger than our youngest applicant!" He then smiled at Oscar, bowing his head. "How do you do, young man? I am Bartholomew Oobleck!"

"O-Oscar Pine." He greeted back. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Oobleck." He winced when he realized his mistake. The man never said he was a doctor. He didn't even _know_ he was a doctor until the word escaped him. It was out of habit – speaking without thinking due to him already being bonded with Ozpin.

Strangely, however, Oobleck didn't comment on it the way he thought he would. Instead, he laughed. "A man after my own heart!" he cheered, grinning from ear to ear at Port. "I didn't even have to tell him! I told you I looked the part."

"A man scientist, perhaps." Port chuckled before extending a hand. "Impressive deductive abilities, young man. My name is Peter Port. I teach Grimm Studies here at Beacon." Oscar accepted the hand. Immediately, he felt how rough the man's burly hands were. While they were nowhere compared to the roughness and worn skin that Hazel Rainart had, they were still impressive hands nonetheless. "So, what brings a strapping young lad like yourself here?"

"Actually." Oscar's face paled, recognizing the damnable tone in the bastard's voice. He shot a warning glare at Ozpin, who had the closest one could get to a shit-eating grin as far as the Headmaster was concerned. "Starting tomorrow, he will be the school's newest helping hand…as well as my assistant."

Immediately, the farm boy scowled.

 _'God **fucking** dammit.'_

Oh, if only his aunt could hear him now…she'd have a damn heart attack!

* * *

" _Assistant_ my ass!" Oscar hissed as he entered the ballroom. He didn't immediately notice how packed it was - the number alone serving as a testament to just how successful the school was – as he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. "He is totally trolling! Agh, I _hate_ when he does that!"

If there was one thing Oscar hated about Ozpin, it was how he knew to rile him up. One would never have expected the Headmaster and Professor of the most prestigious academy to be such a prankster, but as the saying goes, "you can never judge a book by its cover." He wished he could just smack the look off of Ozpin's face, but he knew it was useless.

The teachers were naturally shocked that Ozpin had named him – two years younger than _Ruby Rose_ , the 15-year-old reaper trained by Qrow Branwen – his assistant and a helper to the school staff. If looks could kill, Ozpin would have been dead a thousand times over from how intense Glynda burned holes into him. Oobleck was stunned, but he accepted the decision had sent a barrage of questions his way, asking him how exactly he managed to earn it so quickly. Port, on the other hand, asked questions relating to his combat ability.

The first questions were easy to answer. Half-truths weren't exactly lies. The second question was much harder to answer. By no means did Oscar think he was on the same level was Team RWBY or Ozpin. Far from it. Yes, he was about as strong as maybe a second or third-year here at Beacon, but he was no master. Team RWBY's skills, despite being technically first-years, were powerhouses of the highest-caliber. No one could even touch them, except perhaps those in Salem's inner circle. Qrow Branwen and Ozpin? They were in another league altogether.

How, exactly, was he supposed to match _that_?

Oscar's anger soon vanished, leaving him only to sigh. What was done…was done. Now he had to deal with what was to come.

…wait, hold on. Why did Ozpin tell him to sleep here? It wasn't like he was going to-

 _'Oh, that sneaky, son of a…'_

Seriously? He was going to make him go through Initiation, wasn't he? Groaning out of frustration, he held his head in his hands.

This…really was the worst.

"E-excuse me? Are you okay?"

Oscar looked up, finding a girl with red hair wearing a black tank top and dark shorts. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail while vibrant green eyes. His heart clenched – an action that he knew was not apart of him. It belonged to the sensations and feelings that came with Ozpin. He knew why from the memories.

This was the girl meant to be the Fall Maiden – Pyrrha Nikos.

The girl that died at Beacon Academy.

 _'She's…pretty.'_ Oscar thought. _'No wonder Jaune liked to talk about her.'_ A pause. _'Wait. Pyrrha Nikos…Nikos…where have I heard that name before?'_

Shrugging his thoughts, the farm hand nodded. "Yes, sorry. I'm just…dueling with unpleasant thoughts." He told her. "Sorry if I was being annoying."

"No no, it's fine." Pyrrha answered. "It's just…you looked quite frustrated."

 _'I wonder why…'_

"I…don't mean to be rude, but aren't you a bit young to be here?"

Technically, he was fifteen or so years old, but eh, whatever. "I…tend to get that a lot."

And he had a feeling there would be a lot more of this.

* * *

 _"…you're kiddin'." Jaune said flatly, looking at the kid as if he were insane. Oscar didn't blame him. Hell, he was actually agreeing with him. "I-I mean, is this some kind of joke?"_

 _"If it is, it's kinda morbid." Nora remarked with a frown. "The Headmaster's been dead for months now!"_

 _"Trust me, I know." Oscar sighed, shaking his head. He then looked at Qrow, who was still drunk. And somehow found himself unconscious after hitting the floor. "By the way…is he okay?"_

 _Ruby waved a hand in dismissal. "Oh, he'll be fine! He's just hammered six ways from Sunday." She said as she turned to him. She seemed to be studying his features, looking at his face like she was looking for something before she stepped forward, uncertainty on her face. "Are…are you really Professor Ozpin?"_

 _"What?" Ren blinked. "Ruby…you…believe him?"_

 _"Yeah, what?" Jaune gawked. "Ruby, he's crazy."_

 _"He has Ozpin's cane." She pointed out. Their eyes turned to the handle. Oscar removed it from his waist. As soon as his fingers wrapped around the hilt, the sleek, black shaft extended outward. As soon as they saw it, their eyes widened. "And…what he said before. Those were the same words the Headmaster told me when we first met."_

 _Jaune still looked on in disbelief. The idea must be crazy to him. "B-but, Ruby, look! I mean, there are a lot of ways you could explain that. According to Qrow, silver eyes aren't common. A-and he could have just stolen the cane!"_

 _"Actually, Qrow gave it to me." Oscar quipped. Shortly after, he shrunk into his seat on the couch from their collective stares. "T-to be fair, Ozpin said he wanted it back."_

 _"Ozpin asked?" the blonde knight scoffed. "O-okay, fine. For a moment, let's say we believe you. Say you really do have the Headmaster of our school in your head. Tell us something only he'd know."_

 _'Hm, well, that's a long list of answers…' Ozpin hummed while Oscar panicked. Oh god, this was bad. Seriously, seriously bad. Why couldn't he have just ignored the voice in his head and just stayed back home at the farm?! 'Alright, then. I suppose their brief histories and their actions at Initiation will suffice.'_

 _'Please tell me this'll work.' Oscar begged. 'Cause, if not, I'm boned.'_

 _Ozpin chuckled. 'Oh, don't be so dramatic, Oscar. Now then, let's start with young Arc he…'_

 _"Well?" Ren asked, leaning forward a bit. "We're waiting."_

 _Oscar frowned as he listened to Ozpin go over their histories. After a minute of silence, just as Jaune was about to dismiss him and question him, he finally answered as he looked at him with a bit of uncertainty. "You're…Jaune Arc. Youngest of a family of nine – and the youngest male in your house. You have seven older sisters. You…got pinned to a tree during Initiation when you were thrown into the Forest, and you were partnered with Pyrrha Nikos. You also cheated your way into Beacon, and you-" Oscar blinked, then staring at him in wonder. "Whoa…you seriously tried to flirt with the Schnee Heiress?"_

 _Jaune's jaw fell to the floor, completely taken by surprise. The others were as well, though Nora…_

 _"Wait, really?!" Nora gasped. "You lied your way into Beacon?! Wow, Leader…I never you knew you were a bad boy!" She then frowned, crossing her arms. "But, wait…you aren't a bad boy."_

 _"A-and you're…Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, right?" Oscar continued, looking at the two childhood friends. "You're survivors from the Grimm attack on Kuroyuri village and attended Raijin Combat School here in Mistral. Mister Ren fought a King Taijitsu, and Miss Valkyrie…" he trailed off slowly, staring at the girl as if she were crazy. "You…rode on a Ursa?"_

 _Nora's eyes widened. "Oh. My God." She said slowly before she squealed. "Oh my god! Ren! Ren! He's psychic! Ooh, quick! What am I thinking of now?!"_

 _"N-no way…" Jaune whispered, staring at him in shock and disbelief. "H-he's…seriously the Headmaster?!"_

 _"Better believe it, kiddos." The children turned, looking over at Qrow, who groaned as he lifted himself up, holding his head and scowling. "Whoo boy…haven't had a hangover like this in a while."_

 _"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby said, darting over to him. "A-are you okay?!"_

 _The man gave her a small grin. "Ah, don't worry." He told her, ruffling her hair. "Compared to when I got shanked by that scorpion asshole, this ain't nothing." Qrow then looked over at Oscar, grinning. "By the way, kid…how's having the Headmaster of Beacon Academy in your head? Pretty crazy, right?"_

 _Oscar sighed. "That's…one word for it."_

 _And something told him it was about to get crazier…as he would soon find out._

To Be Continued

A/N: Small nitpick here: on AO3, a user named Hunter of Saefthinge pointed out that Oscar is actually 14 by the time of V4 and 5, meaning that right now, he is 13. Huh.


	3. Chapter 3

**Clockwork Spectrum**

 **Volume I**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: Dastardly Mechanisms  
**_

After managing to convince – which was a feat unto itself, given how insistence the girl was – Pyrrha that he was perfectly fine, Oscar took the moment to look among the crowd for familiar faces. Many were just apart of a sea of people that he never knew. Apart of the background.

Why was he looking through the crowd? He wanted to find Ruby.

At first, the idea of seeing her again caused his body to tense. He felt his hands shaking as…uncomfortable memories surfaced. However, he powered through them. There wasn't really a good reason to try and find her again – he just wanted to see how she was doing. Nothing else.

He wasn't sure he could handle being around her yet.

It didn't take Oscar very long to find her. A heavy blush creeped up to his face when he saw her apparel, however: a black tanktop with white and pink pajama bottoms. Her small, lithe frame fit the clothes perfectly. His eyes trailed along the thin arms, reaching to her small neck before leading down to-

 _'No no no!'_ Biting his lip, Oscar gave himself a mental slap in the face. _'No bad thoughts! No no no! No bad thoughts!'_

It was bad enough Yang had taken to teasing him whenever she even so much as had the chance once she discovered his apparent crush on the girl, and by the twin gods, she tormented him. Even now, some rather…erotic images of Ruby were burned in his head. Images he'd very much like to pretend never came to mind.

Speaking of Yang, she was right next to the silver-eyed girl, wearing an orange top that hugged her very nicely. She always claimed she had an excellent body, though the fact that she had a flesh-and-blood right arm took some getting used to. Not very far away from either was Blake, though a black bow was find atop her head.

And, as always, her nose was buried in a book.

 _'I remember how Ruby told me she always had a book in her hands back before the attack on Beacon happened.'_ Oscar recalled with a wistful smile. _'Now that I think about it, what kind of books does she like to read?'_

Having practically lived off of the books his aunt bought him, Oscar read every piece of literature he could ever get his hands on. Given most of them were adventure novels or history books and whatnot, he had a bit of doubt about what Blake had in mind, but then shrugged.

Now that he found three of the four members of Team RWBY, satisfying his curiosity and selfishness, he had another problem to confront.

"…where the hell am I supposed to sleep?"

* * *

It had taken a bit of time, but Oscar had eventually found a place to sleep near the far end corner of the room. It was pretty crowded – and noisy, courtesy of one Nora Valkyrie – but he made due. Come morning, he was already readying himself for the inevitable.

If he had to guess why Ozpin wanted him to go through Initiation, it was to assess his abilities and skills. He had more or less learned the man's fighting style, but compared to the real master of the art, he was pretty much on the same level as a typical first-year here at Beacon.

As he entered the locker room, where many students had stored their equipment and were currently in the middle of retrieving said weaponry, Oscar looked at his time's version of Ozpin's cane. Gently, his fingers ran across the worn-out shaft.

"I really need to get this fixed." He mused. "But the wood is pretty hard to find. Not to mention a pain to reinforce and refine." Oscar frowned slightly, tapping his knuckles against it. "Just where did Ozpin manage to forge something like this?"

A foolish question, but not unreasonable. Oscar didn't have much memory of what Ozpin remembered – only the more important details. That, and Ozpin had more or less warned him from delving too deep, unless he wished to become scarred by what he saw. He didn't question what Ozpin meant by that. If the Headmaster thought that he was better off not knowing, and with a serious tone to match, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Memories aside, the cane had been through many a fight – how many, Oscar honestly did not know. However, the battles against Salem and her forces had been a fierce one. So fierce that the cane had suffered quite a bit. Given the next opportunity he had, he would have to-

"Hey, aren't you the kid that was with the Headmaster?"

Oscar let out a small yelp, fumbling with the cane and playing a game of hot potato with it before he caught it by the stick. Sighing in relief, he looked up.

His heart began to dance to a rhythm, red slowly rising up to his cheeks.

"Yang, be nice!" Ruby snapped at her older sister with a disapproving glare, which more or less looked like a cute pout before she turned to Oscar. "Um…hi there."

Underneath his gloves, Oscar's hands became sweaty. A lump formed in his throat. It was hard to swallow. His mouth went dry. "…h-hi." Oscar greeted back with a slow bow. "Can I…help you?"

This…was bad. Very bad. Why was Ruby and Yang trying to talk with him? And why did he keep looking at her right arm, expecting it to be metal? He bit the inside of his mouth when his mind recalled their final moments – moments he didn't dare relive. _'Keep it together, Oscar. Keep it together. You're the reincarnation of a man who's been safeguarding Remnant for centuries!'_

Albeit unwillingly, at first. Speaking of which, he still needed to ask Ozpin why, out o f the millions of people inhabiting Remnant, his first choice was a god damn farm boy!

"Well…" Ruby said in this cutely manner that made his heart bounce rapidly. Oh, good grief, what was he? A school girl?! "It-it's just, I didn't expect anyone younger than me to be here." She paused a bit before realizing she might have come off as a tad bit rude and, flustered, waved her arms around wildly. "No that's bad! I mean, it makes me feel better there's someone younger than me here! Really! It does! It means that I'm not the bee's knees or whatever!"

Oscar blinked. Once. Twice. Then a small smile crossed his lips. "…the bee's knees?" he said, causing her face to match her cloak. He then decided to put on a small show – a convincing act he would have to be playing if Ozpin was serious about his position here. "Oh, right. You're Ruby Rose! The girl who stopped that Dust Robbery a few weeks ago, right? The Headmaster mentioned you before."

"Y-yep…" the silver-eyed huntress in the making hummed shyly, poking her fingers. So damn adorable-no, bad Oscar. Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts! "That's me…"

At this point, Yang intruded on their conversation. "And I'm her older sister, Yang!" the blonde brawler said with a wide grin that certainly held a much brighter force compared to the ones he's seen her with. Also, holy crap she was-oh, for the love of Vytal, Oscar, stare somewhere else! Yang must have caught his stare and his attempts to look elsewhere with a hefty blush on his face as her grin widened. Thankfully, she said nothing of it. "So, what's a squirt like you at a grandiose place like this?"

"Well, I'm here on a job offer." Oscar stated, going along for the act he was meant to play. The two sisters gave him a curious look and he obliged to answer. "My folks and Ozpin are close friends, and the Headmaster was looking for an assistant. Even though I'm still pretty young, he decided to give me the benefit of a doubt and hire me." Then his face fell flat. "Only he wants to see how good I am before he makes the final say."

"I guess that makes sense." Ruby hummed before her eyes fell to the cane in his hands. "By the way, is that your weapon?"

An internal grin made itself present on his face while he gave a pleasant smile, seeing the exasperation on Yang's face. "Yeah, though it's pretty much a hand-me down. It…used to look a lot better than this, actually." His fingers ran along the worn-and-mud caked shaft of the cane, almost nostalgically as he recalled his training sessions with RNJR. It was so…surreal and incredible to him at the time. He was in the passenger seat while Ozpin took hold of the steering wheel, but he could feel everything that happened in his body. He had no idea his body could move in such a way! "The handle's made from a mix of orichalcum and mythril steel, so it's pretty sturdy. The wood's made from the oak of an old Aura tree, refurbished and refined."

A cheeky grin found its way to his face, showing off his pearly whites. "Not bad for a glorified walking stick, huh?"

"Whoa…" Ruby whispered, stars in her eyes. Oscar blinked. Why was she looking at his weapon like that? It was a walking stick, and it was pretty much going to be a common sight for her since Ozpin carried around the same weapon himself. "It looks so cool…the gears probably means the shaft can retract and extend to suit the distance and range, but does it have any other functions?"

Yang giggled at Ruby's odd fascination and examination of his weapon, leering down at her younger sister. "Whoa there, Rubes…ever heard of personal space?"

"Personal…?" Looking up, she found her nose mere inches away from Oscar's. In seconds, both of their cheeks burned crimson and recoiled away from one another. "OmigoshI'msosorry!"

Tenders memory replayed in his mind – memories with situations exactly like this…only one of them had him remembering the taste of her lips. Oscar found himself running a tongue against his own lips, remembering how _wonderful_ it felt before he realized what he was thinking and shook his head violently. Puberty, as he was so quickly reminded, was just as much of a bitch as karma it seemed.

"I-it's fine." He said, waving a hand. "No, seriously."

What was not fine was the almost predatory look on Yang's face. He had seen such a look before, often taking the moment to tease the ever-living hell out of Sun and Blake when she found the opportunity. The same could be said when Team RWBY reunited with some old friends: among which included Team SSSN, Sun's own team. He never thought he would see the day when Weiss Schnee blushed up a storm so badly. Had he not know any better, he would have thought she was trying to mimic her leader's cloak.

But the way she looked at them right now? It was _worse_ than the predatory smiles he would give to Sun, Neptune, Blake and Weiss when she was about ready to tear into them with puns and teasings.

 _'Please start Initiation, please start Initiation!'_

[Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately.]

Ask, and ye shall receive it seems.

After Glynda's announcements, everyone was quick to make their way to the cliff. The gleam in this lilac eyes of Yang's seemed to remind Oscar that he was far from done, making him gulp. Nonetheless, he would have to percevere. After all, what were the odds of him losing? He had one of the greatest warriors in Remnant in his mind! There's no way he would lo-

…wait a second here. Why is Jaune pinned to a wall by a javelin?

* * *

 _Was there any chance of him going back to when they looked ready to kill him? Because honestly speaking, he really wanted to, especially with the newfound looks they were giving him._

 _"Did he age backwards?"_

 _"He's possessed!"_

 _"Or reincarnated!"_

 _"Oh! Isn't it weird?!"_

 _Oscar squirmed in the velvetine couch he sat in, all the while unsure of what to do. Jaune looked at him curiously, earlier hostility forgotten. Nor and Ren just looked at him, as if looking for something out of the normal. Ruby, however, looked positively giddy._

 _Thankfully for Oscar, Qrow – now fully sober, much to his relief – had emerged out from the kitchen and holding a steaming mug. "Okay, okay." The scythe meister chuckled in amusement. "Let's all just take a second to remember that this is all very overwhelming for everyone involved."_

 _RNJR looked amongst themselves, and then back at Oscar. They then dashed away, all smiling nervously. Wryly, the farm hand smiled somewhat as everyone soon returned to their respective seats. As they did, Ruby and Oscar shared a look. Up close, she was even more breathtaking than he imagined. The lean frame she sported, the sheer ferocity that hid inside those pools of silver, yet together it created some sort of unearthly beauty._

 _…and Ozpin heard all of that, didn't he?_

 _'Yes. Yes I did.'_

 _'…crap.'_

 _A giggle from the girl he had been ogling brought him out of his thoughts and looked away, blushing like mad. "Sorry!" he apologized. "I-it's just…I've never met real-life Huntsmen and Huntresses before."_

 _Wow…that sounded weak. Even for him._

 _"Well, I've never met someone with two souls before, so…" Ruby said softly. "First times all around, I guess?"_

 _Qrow must have seen something he didn't like – Ozpin had mentioned he was perhaps overprotective of his niece – and cleared his throat. "While I hate to break up the getting-to-know-you-better game, but we need to talk." The seriousness in his voice brought them to bear similar expressions, nodding. Qrow then turned to Oscar. "So, then…mind showing 'em your neat parlor trick, kid?"_

 _Oscar groaned. Dammit, he_ hated _doing that. Sure, at first, it felt incredibly awesome and terrifying all at the same time, but after a while the appeal turned to, well, nervousness._

 _'You aren't going to do anything strange while I leave you in the pilot seat, right?'_

 _He could swear Ozpin had a smile on. 'Have you little faith in me, Oscar?' he asked, though in truth he knew the answer. 'Don't worry. It won't be anything embarrassing or life-threatening.'_

 _Sighing and running a hand down his face, he looked at Ruby and her friends. They were understandably confused by what the drunkard meant, but they'd understand soon enough. "Just so you guys know," he said as he slowly felt a presence creeping up in the back of his mind. His body was becoming numb, losing all feeling whatsoever. "I'll still be here."_

 _With that, he closed his eyes and allowed the presence to completely overtake him. Various feelings and thoughts washed over his mind, too numerous and too garbled to understand before the rush died down. Soon, he began to feel himself reconnecting with his body. He felt his fingers moving, legs in motion, and his eyes opening. His posture became more relaxed, with his arms resting comfortably on the arms of the seat and one leg crossing over the other._

 _However, he did not move them. He felt the move, yes, but he had not willed it._

 _Oscar opened his mouth to speak…_

 ** _"It is so very good to see all of you again, students."_**

 _…but the voice that came out of his throat was not his own. His voice was there, but it was mixed and overlapped with many others._

 _Everyone looked at one another, startled by what just happened. "What…" Jaune voiced their confusion, staring at him oddly. "…just happened?"_

 _"Professor…" Ren spoke shakily, eyes wide in disbelief. "O-Ozpin?"_

 _Oscar…or rather, Ozpin smiled. **"Correct. Though I am the one speaking, Oscar is still present. He's merely handed over the control, so to speak."**_

 _In the 'passenger seat', Oscar whimpered. 'Just don't make us do anything embarrassing!'_

 ** _"I'm afraid all of this must be very complexing."_**

 _"And alarming." Nora added. "And bizarre. And REALLY kind of hard to believe overall!"_

 _The Headmaster of Beacon Academy chuckled. Oscar found himself in tune with the man's own thoughts. He could feel how Nora had yet to lose that bizarre yet refreshing eccentric sense of hers._

 ** _"It's good to see you children still have your sense of humor."_** _He remarked before a heavy frown formed on his face. Within, Oscar felt a heavy guilt weighing against his heart. **"I know you've all been through tremendous hardship already…and I'm very sorry that you all had to experience it."**_

 _Ruby shook her head. "But, it's not your fault!"_

 ** _"I disagree, Ruby."_** _Ozpin rebuked somberly. **"In fact, you could say that everything that happened on that horrible day was all my fault."** He looked down at the cup in his hands. Reflecting in the warm, chocolate brown liquid of his cocoa was Oscar's face…but the boy found the face of someone else reflected instead: the face of a tired, worn old man. **"I once told you that I committed more wrongs than any man, woman or child on the face of this planet…"**_

 _The Headmaster of Beacon Academy raised his head, eyes showing nothing but sorrow and guilt._

 ** _"…and it was not an exaggeration."_**

To Be Continued

A/N: Sorry for the late chapter. I ended up getting sick, my throat hurts like hell and I'm coughing up a lung over here. Also, heads up – the next update is "Bloom, Wilt and Scatter." That said…I wonder if anyone will even review it. Especially since what happened in last week's episode.

Dammit, Adam. Quit killing potential wives!


	4. Chapter 4

**Clockwork Spectrum**

 **Volume I**

* * *

 ** _Chapter 4: Clicking Together_**

The view that showed the Emerald Forest – the area in which Initiation would soon be held in the next two minute – was breathtaking. It was a sea of green, spreading out as far as the eye could see with proud mountains far in the background. Around Oscar were the many students, including Teams RWBY and JNPR.

Normally, being next to Ruby would have made him happy…if not for the fact that he was standing atop a platform, like everyone else. Oh, and did he mention that Ozpin has a tiny, barely noticeable sly smile on his face? Yeah, not helping matters. What made it all the more worse was the fact that the platforms were also attached to springs that would send them flying ten feet high into the air. Oscar has had the pleasure of experiencing this before in his time.

He understood that day why Ren always made sure to keep an eye on Nora and her more eccentric habits. Who in the hell carries around Gravity Dust that potent?! More importantly, who would use it to throw someone into the air?!

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Oscar grimaced, fondling the old and worn-out wood of his cane. He was more than aware of what awaited him down there. Grimm infested the area, and when their numbers became too great, teachers from the academies would go out and thin the number. The reason why they didn't completely wipe out the Grimm was because they would serve as training dummies for the students. It was a risky gamble, but there were a variety of safety plans involved if things went south.

Honestly speaking, Oscar wasn't sure where he stood right now. He was still a simple farm hand right now. In the original timeline (god it felt so weird saying that. It was the truth, technically, but it honestly he felt like he was reciting something from one of Ruby's comic books!) he wasn't on the same level as Team RWBY or Qrow, but he was capable enough to hold his own. His Aura was unlocked, so that was a plus. And provided his bond with Ozpin still lingered, he assumed he still had access to most of the old man's abilities.

Of course, that's being hopeful. He had never made an attempt to discover what he could accomplish right now. Instead, he had run off like a damned fool and hadn't thought things through. Now he was paying the price by Ozpin having him go through Initiation.

 _I'm not a student, dammit. You even said you were making me your assistant, so what the hell, Oz?_

Sighing, he shook his head. No use crying over spilled milk now. He'd just have to grin and bear it.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams." Glynda said, face impassive yet imposing. Oscar noted how she wold throw a glance his way, no doubt still suspicious of him. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates." There was a dramatic pause there before a glare was reflected in her glasses as she adjusted them. " **Today**."

He heard Ruby give a low whine, clearly disheartened.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin continued after taking a sip of his coffee. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

Oscar already had four people in mind when he heard those words: a blonde brawler, a black Faunus, a white heiress, and a red reaper. Even if he were to have amnesia and remember everything as a mere dream of sorts, the image of Team RWBY would be forever burned into his brain. Exemplary, powerful, and more importantly, they all trusted one another without fail. They were certainly the best warriors Remnant could ever hope to offer. Even if they had died back in his own time, they still defeated Salem.

That alone spoke volumes.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Like that, Ruby's world broke apart like glass. "WHAT?!" Oscar cringed, tapping his ears to see if they were still functioning properly. Even at 15, Ruby already had an impressive set of lungs. Of course, her sentiments were shared. Everyone clearly looked uneasy about the whole idea of partnering with someone purely by chance. It required careful planning and being keen of your surroundings. That said, Oscar couldn't help but wonder if the man was perhaps taking things a bit too far here. Why the haphazard of a method?

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path...or you will die."

Oscar rolled his eyes. _Gee, sir. Way to be cheerful._

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will reguard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

From there, Oscar tuned everything out. He took a deep breath, letting his Aura become in sync. Ren had taught him this technique before. Think of Aura like a heartbeat. Beating at a series of intervals, calm and steady and in a successful, yet rapid pace. A green light shimmered around him faintly as he tried to match his heartbeat to the mental image of his Aura. He never got used to this feeling; it was like a thin film of ice-cold water had soaked his skin. A shiver ran down his spine with pleasant delight before he let his body become tense.

The cane clicked, retracting the stick. He placed it on his belt and fell into a stance. By now, everyone was being thrown into the air. First came Blake Belladonna. Then a guy with a mohawk. Following them was Ren and Nora. The next was a guy with a mace. Yang looked at Ruby and him, giving them a wink before slipping on a pair of aviators. Then the pad sprung, sending her flying.

True to form, the brawler was letting out a whoop. Ruby shook her head before readying herself as well. Oscar gulped down the nervousness in his body before he lost his nerve. He gave a quick look at Ozpin.

Old codgar was grinning as he mouthed, _Good luck_.

The pad was triggered. He was thrown straight into the air, wind blowing into his face and his body flailing.

Suddenly, he had a flashback of when he last trusted Nora and being thrown into the air.

"GOD DAAAAAAMMIIIIIIIIIT!"

* * *

As the students were launched into the air, Ozpin watched his future incarnation fly, limbs flailing. He had to admit, the sight was rather hilarious to see for a multitude of reasons. Of course, Oscar was hardly the only one he was interested in. A few applicants in the air were of equal interest. Primarily Ruby Rose.

"I still believe this is a bad idea." Glynda spoke as he drank from his mug. "Even if he does know Salem, isn't it a risk, having him here?"

The old man smiled wistfully. "Careful, Glynda. You're starting to sound like James."

"I'm simply stating a concern, Oz. We know virtually nothing about that child."

"He's 13-years-old, lives on a farm out on Anima with his aunt, and came here to warn us of potential threats. I believe we know enough."

He could feel his deputy headmistress burning holes into his back. What a heated glare she was giving him. If looks could kill, he'd probably be dead a hundred times over. Still, her worries were not without concern. Were he anyone else, he too would've taken Oscar's warnings with a grain of salt. However, he was not anyone else. If anything, he understood Oscar better than anyone, if he was truly his future reincarnation.

That particular thought was a tough one to swallow. He has had many hosts over the many years...but it still left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, having apparently chosen a mere child.

' _Too young.'_ Ozpin mourned somberly, taking a sip of his coffee. _'Far, far too young...'_

* * *

"AaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAGH!"

After a minute or so of flying through the air, Oscar found his face becoming romantically involved with the Emerald Forest's dirt-caked floor. He landed, face-first, and proceeded to bounce forward like a rag doll, rolling through the forest before he unceremoniously slammed into a tree, back printed against the bark.

"...ow."

Groaning, Oscar fell unto his posterior, rubbing his back and face as he got up. The last time he experienced this kind of pain was during a training exorcise that Ozpin had set up. An exorcise that involved explosions, Grimm, and more explosions.

And Nora's hammer. Why? Just...why?

"At least my Aura is working..."

Much to his initial shock, Oscar found himself still capable of utilizing Aura. In vast reserves, no less. It seemed that the results of his and Ozpin's merging had somehow carried over following being thrown back in time. Gods, it still felt weird to say that. He honestly felt like he was in one of his books, but he digressed. While on the way to Vale, he tested himself out to see if he could still use it properly and whatnot. Admittedly, when it came to defense, he was a bit lacking. A flaw that both Ozpin and Ren were kind enough to point out.

He was getting a little better, though, if the fact that his nose wasn't broken was of any indication.

Rubbing his neck, Oscar looked around. The surrounding area looked vacant and showed no signs of movement. Yet. Who knew when the Grimm would start to become active? Not wanting to get caught with his pants down, metaphorically speaking, Oscar removed his cane from his person. A click and the shaft was out in sight, battered and damaged as it was. He didn't know how it came with him along with his improved Aura, but he didn't care much. It was a tool, and a treasure. The latter was probably due to Ozpin, given his past, but they were, and still are, the same person.

Even if he didn't like it.

 _Okay, I'm here at the Emerald Forest. My first order of business should to get a good view of the area, maybe climb up the biggest tree here and find out where the temple is._

The idea sounded solid, though that was left up to execution. He could also partner with a student, but that wasn't exactly the best option. He needed history to stay the same. At least, for now. He didn't want to risk the whole "Butterfly Effect" thing coming into being. Though, given his luck so far, he doubted that he'd be successful. After all, his presence here changed things. Who's to say history was going to stay the same?

"Then again." Oscar shrugged. "Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. Who knows? Maybe some changes will be good?"

Or, at the very least, he hoped.

Scratching the back of his head, he delved into the Emerald Forest, cane in hand and eyes sharp.

For better or for worse, it was time to change history.

* * *

Weiss Schnee wasn't sure how much longer she could deal with this. How could this have happened?

The day had started simple enough. She found Pyrrha Nikos, the three-time Mistral Champion and Sanctum Academy's star graduate, in the locker room and found that she hit it off with her rather well. At least, she assumed. It was simple. If the two were partnered together, they were be the ultimate match-up. How couldn't it have been perfect? The smartest and the strongest? It was the literal definition of power couple!

Did she get partnered with Pyrrha Nikos? Nope! She got saddled with a hyperactive brat that nearly threw them off the side of the cliff on the first day here!

Now, Weiss wasn't usually so judgmental, even if the girl who earned her ire was obviously too young to be here. She had just gotten off her Scroll with Whitley, who 'gave her his best regards.' In reality, it was more like a harsh lecture. Out of the three, he was the brown-noser. She wanted to just ram her weapon right up his arse, proper be damned. She would admit, she might have gone a bit far, but so far, Ruby Rose had yet to impress her.

And she was a bit too hyperactive and pushy. She clearly had no meaning of "Personal Space" or "Priorities." Child or not, they were at Beacon for goodness' sakes! She shouldn't be so concerned about their standing. She should be concerned about finding the whereabouts of the relic.

And thus, leading to her current situation. Ruby had decided to show off her Semblance, increased speed from the look of it, trying to show off her ability and explain that she wouldn't slow her down. A handy power, but she was ultimately wasting precious time. They should be out finding the temple where the relic was located, not fool around.

Weiss stood amid a pack of Beowolves. They circled around her, the leader obviously being the Alpha with the numerous ivory spikes and plating amid its backside and torso. Its mask was also heavily armored, along with even sharper claws. Holding her rapier in one hand, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

This was her first time in the field. She needed to be calm. Remembering her training, she fell into a stance.

Shoulders squared, legs spaced, right foot forward slightly, arms at the required angle, and Myrtenaster aimed right at them. The chamber spun, clicking into place with Fire Dust loaded.

Snarls and growls slurred around her, eyeing her like a piece of meat that they would soon devour. The Creatures of Grimm were soul-less. Relying on instinct and impulse. Mindless lot, so they shouldn't be hard to deal with. In fact, Weiss was confident she could eliminate them.

Compared to the Armored Gigas, how hard could it be?

Opening her icy blue orbs, white glyph dancing beneath her, she stepped forward and lunged. The wind whipped across her face as she readied for the strike. One strike, and it would be-

"Got'cha!"

Weiss' eyes widened as Ruby, out of nowhere, came in a flurry of petals and slashed at the Alpha, creating a gash in its chest that seeped black wisps. In panic, her glyph failed and her legs stumbled. Her strike missed completely, nearly hitting Ruby and creating a streak of flames that imploded against a tree, rather than a Grimm.

"You dunce!" Weiss snapped as she regained her footing, glaring at the younger girl heatedly. "You want me to hit you?!"

Ruby said nothing, her mind focused on the Grimm. The tree that succumbed to flame lurched and fell next to her, spooking her and leaving her open. The Alpha swung its claw and struck her across the face, knocking her into the heiress and causing them both to stumble into a pile.

The two quickly shook it off and got back on their feet. "Watch it." Ruby said as she collected herself, exchanging glares with her partner before changing ammunition from her scythe.

Weiss would have retorted, but their situation was rather horrible. The flames were already beginning to spread. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the smoke in the area got too much.

Fight or flight, as it were.

 _The answer is obvious_. Logic dictated. _Our objective is to find the temple, not deal with Grimm._

On the other hand, though, battling the Grimm was apart of the exam as well, wasn't it? Fighting them would certainly improve her score, but she doubted it was actually needed.

She made the decision. Her hand reached for Ruby, intending to pull her away and escape before their abilities were hampered.

The Grimm, however, would not be patient.

A howl came from behind them. Ruby turned and found herself being pinned to the ground, something heavy pressing against her chest. A set of jaws came dangerously close to her face, barred only by her weapon. Disgusting breath and drool splattered everywhere in her face. She wanted to gag.

"Ruby!"

Weiss tried to intervene, but the Grimm had intercepted her. She jumped out of the way when the Alpha set its sights on her, avoiding a strike. Jumping back, she soon found herself being flanked by both sides. The Grimm were glowering at her, slowly converging. They quickly identified Ruby as the major threat between the two of them. Thus, they separated them.

Cursing her own misfortune, Weiss readied herself for a fight.

Ash infiltrated her nostrils, causing her face to scrunch up.

She needed to get Ruby away from her, quickly. At this rate-!

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

A new voice, distinctly a boy's, entered earshot. Two Grimm were suddenly knocked away, thrown off their feet and knocking into their brethren. A blur shot forward and struck the Beowolf holding Ruby down across the face. A second strike caused it to recoil, and the third had the same effect as the strikes from earlier. It was launched from the Earth and sent flying, hitting the ground harshly.

Weiss blinked. She looked at whoever saved her and her dimwitted partner.

Her jaw met the floor.

 _He's younger than Ruby!_ Her inner self shrieked in utter dismay and shock.

It was definitely a boy, that much was obvious. He had messy hair and his clothes suggested he was a farm boy. Grossly under-equipped for Initiation at that. In fact, the only weapon in his hand was a cane that looked suspiciously like the Headmaster's, only severely battered and worn.

The most striking feature, however, were his eyes. Hazel, forest green eyes with hints of orange and yellow around the pupils. Eyes filled with anger.

More surprisingly, however, was his Aura. Normally, Aura only shimmered into existence when one willed it to defend them from the Grimm or oncoming threats like the White Fang or bandits.

His was different. It was manifesting like a wild storm, flowing around him almost unnaturally. It was also causing his hair to flow about slightly, showing the livid fury in his irises.

"You guys..." the boy spoke slowly, twirling his battered cane about. "...are in some dire need of _education_. Let's start the lesson, shall we?"

The Grimm howled, animosity and anger vividly clear in their growls before they lunged.

To Be Continued

A/N: I would have an excuse for a late update, but...I really don't. Take it as you will.

I don't particularly like how people are complaining how slow Volume 5 has been lately for the last couple of Episodes. To me, the recent episodes have been more like how the majority of Volume 1 leading up to "Black and White" and Volume 2 leading up to the White Fang and Roman causing the Breach and Volume 3 leading to , well, the last half.

Then again, those are just my thoughts.

Here's to me getting the next update as fast as possible, though.


	5. Chapter 5

**Clockwork Spectrum**

 **Volume I**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5: Dangerous Gears**_

In honesty, finding Ruby and Weiss was nothing but pure luck. He had been wandering around aimlessly when he heard the familiar growling of Beowolves and discovered the heiress in the thick of it, readying herself for battle.

Initially, he had no intention of getting involved. Messing around with history at this point was unwise. He also didn't want to risk team placements being ruined.

Plans, however, changed.

Oscar had heard about the original exploits of Team RWBY. It started with Ruby and Weiss accidentially setting fire to the Emerald Forest. They managed to escape from the Grimm when the flames began to get out of control. The Grimm were also more focused on escaping the flames as well, so neither side actually fought.

What happened said otherwise. Ruby was pinned down and keeping a Beowolf from chomping down on her with her scythe. The rest of the pack kept Weiss away, not about to let her interfere. The Grimm were targeting the biggest threat: the Silver-Eyes. If they got rid of her first, taking out the heiress would be easy.

The scene brought out horrible memories. Lifeless, dull eyes and a limp hand held in his, rotting petals scattered around them.

Before Oscar realized it, his feet were moving and cane swinging.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

His Aura was flaring, bursting with energy and corresponding to his desparation and rage. He struck the Beowolf on Ruby three times, the first two stunning it and the third sending it flying. With his presence made, the surrounding Grimm grew angry. They obviously recognized the presence he carried. The presence of their most hated enemy. Since they lacked any real mind, he was more or less Ozpin to them.

Weiss was shocked to find him here, but he ignored her. Instead, he turned and faced the Grimm, eyes smoldering. The grip on his cane tightened. His Aura burned like fire, becoming visible.

He was angry. Understandably so. He didn't want Ruby to get hurt, which was a contradiction. She was a Huntress. Being hurt was part of her job. But he didn't want to see her get hurt. After what happened, he swore that he wouldn't let her get hurt anymore. It was a weak promise, but he wanted to fulfill it to the best of his abilities.

And he was not about to let these bastards break it!

"You guys...are in some dire need of _education_." he stressed that last word, twirling his cane before holding it with both hands, falling into his combat stance. "Let's start the lesson, shall we?"

 **[Play: Bayonetta 2 Soundtrack – "Tomorrow is Mine" (start at 0:003)]**

The Beowolves were none too happy with his declaration. In response and in a throng of snarling fangs and sharpened claws, they rushed at him. Two reached him first, each coming from the side.

In that split second, as the fangs came so dangerously close to him, Oscar's eyes began to glow and his Aura flux. Cogs began to spin within his prepheral vision, everything coming into sharper focus. His muscles tensed, sensing the increase of strength and began to adapt accordingly. Swiftly, Oscar ducked underneath the swings and retaliated with a series of strikes, each aimed at the limbs before spinning clockwise and delivering a swing straight into the left Beowolf's side.

Time sped back up and the Grimm were knocked aside. They fell into a tumbling mess, landing far away from Ruby. The silver-eyed girl was coming back to her senses and looked at him strangely, a mixture of surprise awe.

He didn't dwell on it. Right now, he needed to thin out the rabble.

Oscar sped at the Alpha. Obviously, if you were to eliminate the strongest member, moral would lessen and the Grimm were creatures of instinct. Even if they hadn't lived long, they would realize how outclassed they were. The only problem was countering the other Beowolves and finishing the battle quickly. If it progressed too long, the smoke would start to hamper them.

Talking a swift yet calm breathe, the young boy came in close for an attack. The Alpha roared and swung a claw down. Cogs spun and Oscar evaded with ease, swinging his worn cane at it's side. They stopped and he was forced to evade, side-stepping around it and slamming the end of the stick straight into it's ribs.

The blow staggered it, stumbling back before howling. One Beowolf lept to its defense, pouncing at Oscar. He narrowed his eyes as the cogs spun again, letting him jump up and spin his body at an angle. The cane struck the side of its face first before the heel came at its jaw, sending it flying straight into a burning tree. Hilariously, its fur caught fire, causing it to tussle around as it tried to extinguish it.

"Look out!"

Weiss' shout warned him of the Alpha coming at him again, claw reared back. He gritted his teeth as he held up his cane, Aura at the ready. It struck and he was sent off his feet.

 _'Agh! Damn, this hurts!'_ Oscar thought as he came back to his feet. _'Don't tell me...my body hasn't adjusted to Oz's Aura yet?'_

He felt like slapping himself and cursing his stupidity. He had been so focused on reaching Oz that he didn't even try and see how his body had adjusted to the massive Aura he got! He knew it had unlocked when he woke up and found himself back in Anima, evident by how woozy he felt not long after, but he never stopped to consider if his body had appropriately learned how to handle the Aura. It had taken him months just to become more finely tuned to the massive amounts of Aura he now possessed. Now in a slightly younger body that had no experience, he was completely out of sync.

He still had access to his "chronologic," but he still couldn't handle the full pressure.

"Chronologic," which is what he referred to as Ozpin's ability since he never actually gave it a name, let him slow time to a degree, allowing him to fight more appropriately and retaliate in earnest. Oscar was still an amateur and very used to it. He could only handle about three seconds before a migraine the size of Vacuo decided to come and greet him. Ozpin, meanwhile, could handle it for _hours_.

It was slow progress, but it was all the power Oscar needed. He bit his lip as he dusted himself off, twirling the cane while the Alpha slowly approached, regarding him as a dangerous threat.

 _'Okay, so I can't rely on Aura control._ ' he thought with some dismay. _'So, finish this fight quickly without getting hit too much. Should be easy, right?'_ He paused. Then his face scrunched into a frown. _'Oh, who am I kidding? This reminds me way too much of how Qrow decided to_ teach _me!'_

Shaking off the doubts, Oscar readied himself for round 2.

The Alpha stood on its hind legs and released a howl. At its command, four more Beowolves joined it, making the farm boy groan. _'Great. More work.'_ He supposed he didn't have much room to complain. Right now, he needed to focus.

Even though he was so going to get Ozpin back for this, he focused on surviving...and protecting Ruby.

As soon as Oscar's muscles began to quiver, feeling his Aura washing away the uncomfortable aches in his body, the Alpha charged. Oscar knew he couldn't fight it and the four Beowolves at once, so he had to get creative. Taking a breath, he met the creature's charge and jumped, feet landing squarely upon its snout, sending it to the ground and skidding, shredding some of its fur on its chin in the process. However, he hadn't intended to bring it down. Instead, he used it as a springboard, throwing himself up into the air and spinning his body before landing safely behind the pack.

Breathing a small sigh, he twirled his cane and then focused his sights on the Beowolves, looking at them critically.

 _'Four Beowolves. One Alpha. One of me. I can handle this in three different ways.'_

The pack snarled, red eyes burning like coal as they began to approach.

 _'First is the suicidal approach: take them all on while relying on my chronologic. I can hold it for about three seconds, and can use it consexecutively after a five-second cooldown. It might be hard, but it is doable...if I was more accustomed to my Aura like before.'_

Sweat dripped from his face as he tensed, keeping his eyes trained on the Grimm. In the back, the Alpha came back up to its feet, shakin off the sluggishness in its form and turned, bearing its fangs at him in indignation.

 _'The second approach is divide and conquer. Separate a small part of the pack and lead it away. Weiss and Ruby can deal with the remaining Grimm, but the Alpha is a bit tougher. If Yang were here, this would definitely be a cinch. She isn't. At least, right now. So, right now, the best choice...'_

Just as the Grimm moved in for the kill, a series of gunshots rung loudly behind him. At first, it was painful to hear. But soon the sound become music to his ears. A flash of white danced in front of him as a thin, silver rapier defended its owner and him from the Grimm. Rose petals danced in the air as a red blur intercepted, blocking their advance.

Oscar grinned as he dashed past them, smiling back at the two of them before swinging his cane and blocking the Alpha's intended strike to his head.

 _'So let's go with Option 3! Team up and Beat 'em Up!'_

* * *

If there had been any doubts about Oscar Pine's claims, they were most assuredly erased. His movements were hardly refined, but the intents and unwavering motions behind each blow against the Creatures of Grimm were near flawless in execution. There was no hesitation. Yes, the technique was that of an amateur, but at the same time it was the capability of an experienced yet worn-out soldier.

It also had not helped matters with the fact that his fighting style, however lacking, was nearly identical to that of Ozpin's own.

"He's a Meister." Glynda breathed. For a moment, she thought she had forgotten how.

The term "Meister" meant many things. Typically, it is reserved for practitioners of fighting styles that exemplified both grace and death.

One example was Qrow Branwen. A drunken slosh he may be, but even Glynda could not help but give him the recognition he rightfully deserved. In this day and age, there were only a few that could ever hope to match his prowess. Ruby Rose was young, but if what Glynda had seen so far was any indication, she was certainly a diamond in the rough. Then again, that could easily be attributed to her Silver-Eyes. Such was the path of Warriors.

Back to the main point, Ozpin was a practitioner of the old, traditional style of the Meister name. Particularly, fighting with a dull blade. As dull and primitive the cane was as a weapon, the power behind it was most assuredly real. The wood was not cheap. Some days, she doubted it could be called wood. Or even metal for that matter. To both her own knowledge and what Ozpin himself knew, very few actually used this style of fighting, namely because barely anyone, if any at all, could bring out the potential of fighting with a "sword that has no edge."

And yet, Oscar Pine, a boy that wasn't even in the midst of his teenage years – just _barely_ starting puberty for that matter – had shown his use of the art.

The technique was sloppy, but there was no mistaking these movements. For a moment, the young farm hand's image was replaced with that of a dark-haired youth with sharpened brown eyes and a green ascot, sleak black cane in hand.

"He's so young, and yet...he's a Meister?"

Ozpin smiled. "While it is true that him as an Assistant was spur of the moment..." he confessed without any shame whatsoever as he took a swig from his mug, relishing the delightful taste of his hot cocoa. "The real reason I wanted him to undergo Initiation was to see where he stood in terms of combat prowess. His Aura is impressive, especially since it's clearly visible due to his emotional state, but it hasn't fully become intuned with him yet. That, and his 'abilities' are quite weak."

"But, they're _your_ powers, Ozpin." Glynda said, eyes sharp. "Is it possible that you're-"

"That boy knew my name, Glynda. My _real_ name." Ozpin cut her off sharply, much to her own surprise. "A name that, some days, even I forget I knew I had. There is only reason why he would know that, and why he has the same powers I wield."

She knew the answer to that. In fact, it should have been clear as day. After all, Oscar had claimed to have heard the Headmaster's voice in his head. When that full sunk in her head, Glynda felt her heart ache as she looked back at the feed of him, Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee battling the horde of Beowolves.

"...he's too young." she said mournfully. "If he truly did come from such a horrible future...then what sort of future will he carve now?"

"Who can say?" the old man replied wistfully. "In the end, only the gods know that."

* * *

"Ruuuuuuby? Helloooooo?" Yang called out as she trekked through the woods. It had already been five minutes since she landed, and still no sign of her sisters.

The blonde brawler wasn't worried about her, knowing full well that she was perfectly capable of protecting herself...but at the same time, she couldn't help but try to find her, in spite of her insistence that Ruby try to find other people to fight alongside with. Perhaps it was her sisterly nature acting up, but she still couldn't help but feel anxious.

After all, her adorable baby sister entered Beacon two years early. She was worried that she may not even fit in with her fellow students. After all, the poor girl was more interested in weapons than she was with other people. In retrospect, she _really_ should have tried more to help her grow out of her shell.

"Rubes?" she called out. "Hey! Ruby! You here?! Hello!" she bellowed out, only to receive her own echo as a response. A shake of the head followed, and a sigh came after. "Why am I not surprised?"

She scratched the back of her head as she observed her surroundings. The forest was oddly quiet, but she could hear fighting off in the distance. Most likely, teams were being formed as they speak.

Now, don't get her wrong, she was looking for a team herself, but she was looking for Ruby because she was worried about her. She came to Beacon two years ahead of everyone else, so she was easily nervous, despite her confidence in her skills.

She wanted to form a team with Ruby, there was little doubt about that, but she wanted her sister to strike out on her own. After all, she wouldn't be there to cuddle her forever.

Suddenly, movement was seen out of the corner of her eye. "Ruby?" Yang asked, peeking through the brushel. "Is that you?"

The black shadow growled. It stood on all fours before it rose up and stood on its hind legs. It was a massive, bear-like creature with fur as black as midnight. It's back was covered with ivory spikes while a white mask with red markings was present on its face.

Yang's smile dropped. "... _nope_."

She quickly jumped back, avoiding being thrashed when the Ursa swung it's paw at her, as if to rip off her head. "Hey, big guy." Yang waved at the Creature of Grimm, known as the Ursai Major. "You seen a little girl with a red hood or a kid with different pair of eyes, would ya?"

In response, the Ursa roared and swung it's paw down. Yang leaped back, performing a backflip to achieve some distance. She flipped her hair back as she she grinned. "You could have just said no instead of ' _rawr_.'"

The Ursa roared again before charging. Yang grinned and cocked her wrists, activating her yellow shotgun gauntlets from their bracelet form: Ember Celica. The beast roared up, running toward her at top speed. Yang slammed her fists into the ground, creating a loud 'bang' as she was propelled into the air, a result of Ember Celica's kickback. She vaulted over the Ursa, shooting off another blast. The beast staggered a bit, swaying through it's charge before it slammed into the trunk of a tree.

"Oof," she giggled. "That had to hurt."

The Grimm pulled itself away, shaking it's head before turning to Yang, fangs bared in anger. She was about to brace herself for another charge when a loud, bellowing cry emerged from her side. Acting quickly, she brought up her arms, and was thrown back by the sheer amount of force that was put into the strike. Her body tumbled through the ground before she came to a stop.

Looking up, she found another Ursa. This one was glaring at her as well, snapping a loud roar.

"Two for the price of one, huh?" she said as she dusted herself off. "Okay then!"

She jumped up, curling her legs up into a ball, leaving the third Ursa to charge in, and run into the second, causing them both to tumble into the ground. As she hit the ground, Yang pounded her fists together.

"Sweet~" she said cheekily, excited. She was going to get to fight three Ursa, all at once! This was going to be a lot of fun!

...wait, she was supposed to find Ruby, wasn't she? Eh, oh well. It could wait. Her sister was tough, so she wasn't too worried about her. After all, their uncle taught her how to use that scythe of hers, so she'll be kicking ass and taking names.

That meant... she could kick the shit out of these suckers~!

"Alright boys," Yang smirked. "Who wants a taste of the Yang-meister?"

The one on the right growled before charging in first. It stopped just short of her, and swung it's paw. She ducked underneath it, and delivered an uppercut to it's jaw, knocking it upward. With a follow up, she swiveled around on her feet, cocked her fist back, and threw a right hook, hitting it's underbelly. Almost like a boartusk, it's body flipped about into a ball for a few short seconds before hitting the ground, left in a daze. One of the two Grimm from earlier, got back up, and charged at her again. This time, it was ready to bite off her head. Not wanting to get her hair damaged, she instead chose for the direct approach, and rammed her fist in it's jaw, causing it to stagger back. The third Ursa came up from behind the second, ready to slam it's weight on her. She avoided it by flipping backwards on her hands, launching herself into the air to make some distance. Once she did, she unloaded two shots. One hit the first one in the face, causing it to recoil, while the other hit it's shoulder, causing to it cramp down on it's leg.

Meanwhile, the first Ursa charged in, now seething with anger. Yang cracked a cocky grin as she charged in to meet it's advance. Without stopping, she ducked underneath the swipe of it's paw, and swiveled around on her foot. Now behind the Ursa, she jumped up on it's back, and reared back both of her fists. With a swift succession, she began to unload Ember Celica as her fists pounded away at it's armor on it's back. Each struggle caused it to strain to stay on it's legs. Unfortunately it could no longer bear the weight, as she reared both arms back, and swung them both down. A resounding BOOM echoed in the air as Yang was blown off, flying through the air before landing back on the ground. The Ursa cried weakly as it fell on it's stomach, the armor on it's back completely shattered, and it's fur singed.

"One down!" she cheered before turning her attention back to the other two.

A massive black paw swung, hitting her on the side.

"Oof!" She grunted as she was thrown into the air. She hit the ground. Hard. But she tumbled and pulled herself up on her feet. "Not bad. So what else can...you..." Her words died in her throat as she saw it. It floated slowly to the ground before her.

A strand of _blonde hair_.

 **HER** blonde hair.

The Grimm suddenly felt tense when they saw her body trembling.

"Y-you..."

Creatures of Grimm held only instincts within them. They knew where to find prey by the feeling of aura, a power that belonged only to humans, those with a soul. It was within their instincts to destroy and maim and kill whatever possessed a soul, yet it was also within their instincts to recognize a potential threat.

"Y-you...!"

And now, a threat stood before them. Yang's head snapped up, her hair suddenly glowing like fire, and her lilac eyes turning bright crimson.

"YOU MONSTERS!"

She flung her fists behind her, allowing the recoil of her gauntlets to propel her foreward to the closest Ursa. Once she was right in the enemy's face she swung her right arm in a jaw-shattering right hook followed with a left handed uppercut. This time, it's body was thrown back, thrashing to the ground before hitting a tree.

Before it even had a chance to recover, the Ursa was suddenly bombarded with strike after strike after strike. The tree threatened to break was the Grimm was pressed further into it, it's belly being torn apart with each shot. The Ursa howled in agony. Yang delivered once final blow right in the throat.

The tree gave way.

The bark snapped apart like brittle glass, and the Ursa plowed through it, neck crushed and broken. The tree fell over, hitting the ground with a thud. The earth shuddered below their feet. A bellow from behind her reminded that Yang there was another Ursa behind her. She was still seething from the damaging of her hair. She wouldn't be happy until she bashed it apart.

"You want some too, Yogi Bear?!"

The Ursa roared. But before it could even move, a sharp blade stabbed itself into the back of its skull. The blade was then torn free and sliced through the Grimm's neck and upper back. The bear-like creature swayed a bit before toppling over. Yang raised a brow at the sudden action, then saw who stood behind the Ursa.

It was the black-haired girl from last night. Blake, she thinks her name was.

The two stared at each other, with the latter pulling out her black blade from the dead beast, slipping it into it's holster.

After a minute, Yang's anger faded and she grinned. "...I could have taken it."

Her partner smiled back.

* * *

"Left, right! Left, right! Left, left, left right!"

Oscar continued to repeat himself as he dodged and evaded each attack the Alpha threw at him. While the girls were busy, occupying the Beowolves and possible reinforcements, he was busy dealing with this overgrown mutt.

The ash flooding his nostrils was not helping matters. At all.

 _'I need to finish this, fast!'_

If this prolonged, ash would fill his lungs. That would make it difficult to breathe.

Oscar needed to focus. He envisioned his Aura being sharpened, like a knife's edge. The green fluctuations around his body grew less intense, but still remained just as powerful. The Alpha Beowolf swung its claw down, leaving him to side-step. His power kicked in as the gears began to spin. Swiftly, Oscar delivered as many strikes as he could before the cogs stopped and the Alpha returned with a reverse roundhouse strike, claws poised to tear through flesh.

He lowered his body to an angle, avoiding the claws and losing a few strands of hair before ramming the cane into its throat. The blow served to disoriente the Grimm, even choking as it grasped at its throat. Flipping his cane into his other hand, Oscar began to let loose with a blitz of strikes, each faster and stronger than the last.

By now, he must have seemed like a blur of green, dancing and forcing the strong black wolf at impossible speeds. The Grimm was being forced back, trying to weakly retaliate with half-hearted swings. Each time, Oscar would evade and let his Chronologic slow time and deliver an even harsher beatdown.

Five seconds went by before the Alpha stood on its last legs. Mustering what little strength it had, it tried to pounce on Oscar, hoping to pin him and bite off his head. Oscar sucked in a breath, closing his eyes.

Cogs and gears began to spin and click together. The world was slowing down for him. His head ached, his muscles told him to stop and take a breather. His hands were trembling. His legs were quivering, as if struggling to support his weight. He bit the inside of his mouth, drawing blood though his Aura quickly healed the self inflicted damage.

He concentrated on a single point. His Aura began to flow and eb, slithering around the cane, primarily around its sides. Opening them, a golden hue burned as he slammed a foot forward and swung with all his might.

Time sped back up...and the Beowolf was cleaved horizontally in half.

The two halves rolled through the ground. The creature let out a pitiful whine, growling weakly before the red glow in its eyes faded and went limp. Moments later, it began to dissipate into black wisps.

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Oscar pulled the trigger on his cane and let the stick slide back into its hold, placing it back in its makeshift holster. He turned and found Ruby and Weiss, both of whom had already finished with their opponents. He inwardly cringed when the heiress looked at him with a sharp, scrutinizing gaze.

 _'Even here at Beacon, that gaze is as cold as ice.'_ he thought with slight amusement. _'I guess she was already an Ice Queen by now.'_

Somehow, he wondered if he had said that out loud, for it felt as if Weiss' glare had grown even more harsh.

Ruby, on the other hand...

"That. Was. AWESOME!"

To Be Continued

A/N: Got an update in time for the New Year. Sorry if I rehashed Yang's fight in canon, or if I poorly executed Oscar's fighting prowess debut.

As for his "Chronologic" ability...I initially intended to make it his Semblance, but I decided against it and made it one of the abilities he inherited from Ozpin. In case you haven't figured it out, it's based off of "Witch Time" from _Bayonetta_.

Anyway...I have some good news. As of today, I am working on a new story. One that is related to RWBY. Well, scratch that. Two RWBY-related stories. One is "STRQ," which, as you can probably guess by the title, is my headcanon of the prequel of RWBY. The other, "JRNY," is a RWBY AU. It isn't a dark one, like "Outsiders," but I think you will like it.

That's about it. Happy New Years, ladies and gents.

Also, quick note, and slight spoilers to anyone that hasn't seen the latest Episode of RWBY: Volume 5.

Weiss Lives, or We Riot. Adam killing off a potential wife is one thing, especially since said wife didn't get much screen time, barely five minutes, but I am drawing the fucking line with our beloved resident Tsundere Ice Queen goddammit!


End file.
